15 Best Restaurants In The Dandenong Ranges (2024)

Come for the greenery, stay for the food, here’s how to plot a culinary itinerary around the Dandenong Ranges.

The Dandenong Ranges is well-known as a playground for outdoors enthusiasts, a hop, skip and a jump away from the Yarra Valley.

But the region is home to plenty more than just a swathe of enchanting greenery.

In between the scenic lookouts, fern-draped trails and winding, tree-lined roads, you’ll find teahouses with ornamental gardens, cosy pubs with plenty of character, smart-casual Modern Australian restaurants and schmick cafes dishing up inventive fare.

Read on to uncover the best restaurants in the Dandenong Ranges.

The shortlist

Best Value: Ms Banh Mi

Best drinks list: Killik Handcrafted Rum

Best for dinner: The Independent

Best for casual eats: White Thai Ginger

1. Babaji’s Kerala Kitchen

Best for: South Indian food, interiors

This vivaciously decorated restaurant (both inside and out) is a bright beacon of hope for those who crave authentic South Indian food. Specialising in Keralan cuisine, Babaji’s is perhaps best known for its sadya: a meal composed of many small dishes, served together on a banana leaf. Typically, it’s vegetarian and reserved for special occasions.

Here, the sadya includes 12 different morsels, which vary depending on the season, but might include papadam, sambar (a lentil-based vegetable stew), rasam (a tomato and tamarind broth), or payasam (a ‘rice pudding’ made with vermicelli, sago, cashews and raisins).

Babajis Kerala serves homely Indian food.

Beyond Babaji’s banana leaf feast, you’ll find standalone dosas, curries, and deep-fried street food snacks on offer too.

Address: 1/1644 Burwood Hwy Belgrave

2. Chae

Best for: Exclusivity, Korean food

Don’t even think about rocking up to this Cockatoo restaurant without a reservation. A hallowed Melbourne institution, formerly located in Brunswick, Chae operates a lottery system that can entail a months-long slog to get in. Accommodating just six diners per sitting, this intimate Korean restaurant is actually situated within chef Jung Eun Chae’s house.

It’s worth the wait, however. Showcasing foods that require time- and labour-intensive practices, which few other more commercial kitchens could justify, lucky lottery winners might sample gam-sikcho (a Korean persimmon vinegar that can take over a year to ferment and age adequately), homemade kimchi and gochujang, and a selection of house-brewed drinks, such as barley tea and makgeolli (a sparkling rice wine liquor).

Address: 33 Mountain Rd, Cockatoo

3. Paradise Valley Hotel

Best for: Relaxed meals, views

If it’s good pub grub and schmick surrounds you’re after, Paradise Valley Hotel could be the venue for you. While a pub has occupied this spot since 1882, ‘The Clemo’ (found in the small township of Clematis) is anything but old-timey inside. It reopened in late 2019 under the careful guidance of some of Melbourne’s hospo heavyweights, and has emerged into an airy, bright, modern, quasi-minimalist bar and bistro, with a leafy beer garden that offers front seat views of local icon Puffing Billy.

Since its reboot, one dish in particular has become a signature: the duck and mushroom pithivier, served with mashed potato, spinach and lentils, and composed, almost entirely, of Victorian-sourced ingredients.

Address: 249 Belgrave-Gembrook Rd, Clematis

4. Bam Bam Italian

Best for: Parents, Italian food

Parents, rejoice! This neighbourhood Italian joint not only serves an enticing array of pizza and pasta, it also boasts a gorgeous fully fenced playground and turfed play area, which is fully visible from the restaurant’s own family dining room. There’s a kid’s menu and baby change facilities to boot. And did we mention that this Avonsleigh venue is also entirely wheelchair-accessible?

Dog owners aren’t left in the dark either. Bam Bam Italian’s front outdoor dining area is available to fur babies and their humans, with dog water bowls and a nature strip in easy reach.

the dining of Bam Bam Italian — Bam Bam Italian also caters to humans with furry friends in the outdoor dining area.

Address: 445 Belgrave-Gembrook Road, Avonsleigh

5. White Ginger Thai Restaurant

Best for: Thai food, a casual dinner

Something of a local institution, White Ginger Thai Restaurant is not short of local ambassadors; they wax lyrical about the authentic flavours as much as they do the warm, attentive service.

This isn’t the spot for groundbreaking fusion food. Instead, you’ll find a comforting roll call of Thailand’s greatest hits, from green curry to tom yum soup, spring rolls, pad Thai and neua nam tok (Thai beef salad).

Address: Unit 4/1526-1528 Mount Dandenong Tourist Rd, Olinda

6. Killik Handcrafted Rum

Best for: Cocktails, a fun night out with friends

Don’t let the name of this Belgrave establishment fool you; there’s much more to Killik than rum. Part distillery door, part smart casual eatery, cosy Killik offers a little something for any occasion.

Killik restaurant — Killik offers a little something for any occasion.

A lazy Sunday arvo for two, accompanied by a share board (cheese, cured meats and house-fermented pickles) and a gin tasting paddle* perhaps? A hot buttered rum for one next to the fireplace on a quiet winter’s eve? Or a full-on ‘feed me’ feast with friends, devouring dishes such as cauliflower and truffled pecorino beignets, cured scallop carpaccio, and housemade linguine served with pesto Trapanese? Take your pick at Killik.

*Killik is also home to gin distillery GinFinity .

Address: 64 Monbulk Rd, Belgrave

7. Lorna Cafe, Ferntree Gully

Best for: Coffee, breakfast, cake

At the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges, this whitewashed minimalist cafe has a breakfast menu that strikes the perfect balance between salubrious and indulgent.

Keep hunger at bay all morning with a plate of southern fried chicken that sits atop a cheesy waffle bed, drizzled with jalapeno maple sauce and speckled with gremolata. Or fuel up with a nourishing bowl of cinnamon myrtle porridge sprinkled with spiced walnut crumb and festooned with poached pear pearls.

Lorna serves up an enticing array of towering cakes to boot, should you feel like stopping by for a tea and a slice.

Address: 1053 Burwood Hwy, Ferntree Gully

brunch meals at Lorna Cafe — Lorna Cafe’s breakfast menu is a trendsetter in the Dandenong Ranges. (Image: Lorna Cafe)

8. Maria Cafe, Upwey

Best for: Vegan, Mexican

Sister venue to Lorna Cafe, we couldn’t not give this Upwey venue a shout-out. Though the fitout and design here bears a fair resemblance to its Ferntree Gully sibling, the menus are surprisingly distinct, with Maria featuring a decidedly Mexican lean .

Beyond the standard eggs Benny and smashed avo you’ll find beef birria tacos, baked eggs with frijoles (refried beans) and chilaquiles (fried tortilla chips simmered in a brothy sauce). There’s also a solid selection of vegan items for those so inclined, such as tofu scramble and jackfruit birria tacos.

Address: 56-58 Main St, Upwey

meal at Maria Cafe — Maria Cafe is all glammed up, from chic interiors to aesthetically pleasing plates. (Image: Maria Cafe)

9. The General Food Store, Emerald

Best for: Lunch

Small in size but big on accolades, husband-and-wife team Paul and Belinda Douglas – a chef and a graphic designer, respectively – craft The General Food Store ’s monthly menu based on what’s in season.

With quirky pardon-the-pun dish names like Flame and Fortune (chilli scrambled eggs with housemade sambal), and The Juan That I Want (smashed avo with pico de gallo and a poached egg), the menu is as creative as the food.

The cafe caters for food intolerances and offers a sizable kid’s menu to boot, plus owners Paul and Belinda are committed to supporting local producers, local artists (whose work is exhibited in the cafe) and stepping lightly on the earth – check out the worm farm in the courtyard.

Belgian waffles at The General Food Store, Dandenong Ranges restaurants — Their Belgian waffles have macerated strawberries and toasted pistachios on the side. (Image: Sam Stuart)

Address: 377 Belgrave-Gembrook Rd, Emerald

10. Olinda Tea House and Restaurant

Best for: High tea, setting

While this Olinda venue is open for both lunch and dinner six days a week, it’s the Asian fusion restaurant’s high tea that has become something of a signature.

Featuring savoury and sweet morsels (think macarons, profiteroles, croquettes and pork buns) alongside a selection of internationally sourced teas, the offering is as ornately presented as Olinda Tea House and Restaurant ’s immaculately manicured gardens.

Address: 86 Olinda-Monbulk Rd, Olinda

pastries at Olinda Tea House, Dandenong Ranges restaurants — Satisfy your sweet cravings with these decadent pastries. (Image: Olinda Tea House)

11. The Pig and Whistle Tavern, Olinda

Best for: Lunch, setting

The sun-dappled deck at this English-style pub is an inviting spot to while away a summer’s afternoon post-hike, but there are several more reasons to visit.

Not only are the portions generous, but the tavern’s roast pork belly and parmies (Italian, Irish, Southern-style, or classic) in particular keep the locals coming back for more. Chase it all down with one of The Piggy’s British beers, such as Old Speckled Hen, London Pride or Hobgoblin.

Address: 1429 Mount Dandenong Tourist Rd, Olinda

burger and fries combo, The Pig & Whistle Tavern — The Pig & Whistle Tavern is your go-to stop for a classic brunch. (Image: The Pig & Whistle Tavern)

12. Ms Banh Mi

Best for: Lunch, value

Located just on the cusp of the ranges lies this ever-reliable pork roll shop. Crusty rolls are filled with tender and juicy hunks of freshly roasted pork and crunchy crackling, and laced with slivers of carrot, chilli, cucumber and coriander.

Ms Banh Mi ’s Vietnamese iced coffee also receives top marks – it’s so moreish that you may in fact want to hook yourself up to a drip of it. Better still, you can buy both and still leave with change from a $20 note.

crusty rolls, Ms Banh Mi — Crunch-filled delight at Ms Banh Mi. (Image: Ms Banh Mi)

Address: 253 Colchester Rd, Kilsyth South

13. Le Voltaire Bistro Francais, Belgrave

Best for: Dinner, French

Le Voltaire Bistro Francais is the type of consistently good neighbourhood restaurant that everyone wishes they had just around the corner. And given the culinary pedigree of its owner, Jean-Noel Langlet, who moved to the area after 20-odd years as a waiter at Melbourne institution, France-Soir, it’s little surprise.

Offering all the Gallic classics (with a few Australian twists), his menu mightn’t win any awards for boundary-pushing, but it has won a legion of fans.

Expect moules marinière, canard à l’orange, oysters shucked in front of you and, of course, snails, alongside house-churned butter, bread made from scratch and a well-balanced wine list of new- and old-world styles.

Address: 1677 Burwood Hwy, Belgrave

14. Citrine Bistro and Bar, Olinda

Best for: Lunch, Modern Australian

One of the smartest restaurants in the Dandenong Ranges region, both in terms of its refined Modern Australian menu and impeccably styled interior, Citrine is a bit of a failsafe local go-to .

The dining room is warm and homely – its open fireplace, tables dressed in white linens, and timber bookshelves decked with books and vintage curios lending a bit of a stately home feel.

The menu is similarly inviting, showcasing seasonal ingredients in familiar ways alongside daily specials. Sample everything from handmade spinach and ricotta tortellini to calamari fritti and cider-roasted pork cheek.

Address: 543 Mount Dandenong Tourist Rd, Olinda

Calamari, Citrine Bistro & Bar — Calamari fritti with lemon aioli makes for a great appetiser. (Image: Citrine Bistro & Bar)

15. The Independent, Gembrook

Best for: Dinner, share plates

Rustic, industrial charm is taken to the next level in this heritage-listed hardware-store-cum-restaurant that attracts diners from near and far. The Independent specialises in Argentinian cuisine, to reflect chef/owner Mauro Callegari’s heritage, and features a variety of share plates that are guaranteed to satisfy your taste buds as well as your appetite.

This Dandenong Ranges restaurant also caters well to those with dietaries, offering a slew of dishes to suit vegetarians, vegans, coeliacs, or those with intolerances to dairy, onion and garlic.

And if indecision overwhelms your party, opt for the chef’s set menu, which promises a seven-course tour de force.

Address: 79 Main St, Gembrook

Lime cured scallops, The Independent Gembrook — This lime-cured scallop dish could be your new comfort food. (Image: The Independent Gembrook)

Check out our Victoria travel guide, so you can read up on the very best the region has to offer.

A town charmingly paused in time has become a hot mountain biking destination.

There’s a forest reserve full of eucalyptus and pines surrounding town – when you combine all the greenery with a main street of grand old buildings still standing from the Victorian Gold Rush, Creswick looks more period movie set than a 21st-century town.

old gold bank Victoria — Grand buildings from the Victorian gold rush. (Image: Visit Victoria)

This entire region of Victoria – the Central Goldfields – is as pretty-as-a-picture, but there’s something extra-special about Creswick. I used to live 30 minutes north; I’d drive in some evenings to cruise its main street at dusk, and pretend I was travelling back in time.

It was sleepy back then, but that’s changed. Where I used to walk through its forest, now I’m hurtling down the state’s best new mountain bike trails. There’s a 60-kilometre network of mountain bike trails – dubbed Djuwang Baring – which make Creswick the state’s hottest new mountain biking destination.

Meet Victoria’s new mountain biking capital

Creswick bike trail — This historic town has become a mountain biking hotspot.

Victoria has a habit of turning quiet country towns into mountain biking hotspots. I was there in the mid-2000s when the tiny Otways village of Forrest embarked on an ambitious plan to save itself (after the death of its timber cutting industry) courtesy of some of the world’s best mountain bike trails. A screaming success it proved to be, and soon mountain bike trails began popping up all over Victoria.

I’m no expert, so I like that a lot of Creswick’s trails are as scenic as they are challenging. I prefer intermediate trails, such as Down Martuk, with its flowing berms and a view round every corner. Everyone from outright beginners to experts can be happy here. There’s trails that take me down technical rock sections with plenty of bumps. But there’s enough on offer to appeal to day-trippers, as much as hard-core mountain-bikers.

I love that the trails empty onto that grand old main street. There’s bars still standing from the Gold Rush of the 1850s I can refuel at. Like the award-winning Farmers Arms, not to be confused with the pub sharing its name in Daylesford. It’s stood since 1857. And The American Creswick built two years later, or Odessa Wine Bar, part of Leaver’s Hotel in an 1856-built former gold exchange bank.

The Woodlands is set on a large bushland property. (Image: Vanessa Smith Photography)

Creswick is also full of great cafes and restaurants, many of them set in the same old buildings that have stood for 170 years. So whether you’re here for the rush of the trails or the calm of town life, Creswick provides.

A traveller’s checklist

Staying there

Inside the Woodlands, a chic 1970s log cabin. (Image: Vanessa Smith Photography)

RACV Goldfields Resort is a contemporary stay with a restaurant, swimming pool and golf course. The Woodlands in nearby Lal Lal comprises a chic log cabin set on a 16-hectare property abundant in native wildlife.

Eating there

Le Peche Gourmand makes for the perfect pitstop for carb and sugar-loading.

The menu at Odessa at Leaver’s Hotel includes some Thai-inspired fare. Fuel up for your ride on baguettes and pastries from French patisserie Le Peche Gourmand . The Farmers Arms has been a much-loved local institution since 1857.

Playing there

Creswick State Forest has a variety of hiking trails, including a section of the 210-kilometre-long Goldfields Track. Miss Northcotts Garden is a quaint garden store with tea room.

15 of the best restaurants in the Dandenong Ranges for 2024